Washington. Tension between America and Iran seems to be increasing once again. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned Iran that if US Navy ships are attacked, the US will destroy Iranian oil tankers and sink them in the sea. This warning has come at a time when the US Army has informed that three Iranian oil tankers have been targeted and Iran has claimed to have fired ballistic missiles at American warships.
What warning did Pete Hegseth give to Iran?
Hegseth shared a statement from US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper on social media platform X, saying that if Iran fired on US ships, its oil tankers would be destroyed and sunk. He said that Iran does not just have to attack the US Navy.
Cooper also warned that US forces would target three Iranian ships if Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps attacked two US ships. He said that if necessary, America will not shy away from destroying Iran's limited and open oil fleet.
How many Iranian oil tankers did America target?
According to the US Central Command, on Saturday the US military attacked three tankers carrying Iranian crude oil. One of these tankers was near Kharg Island, which is Iran's major oil export hub. The US military said that these included M/T Kylo, which sank in the Gulf of Oman. Central Command informed about its complete destruction. Two other tankers, M/T Downy and M/T Stark 1, have also been said to be decommissioned by the US Army.
Why did the US Army release the video of sinking the tanker?
US Central Command has released the video of the attack on M/T Kylo. In the video, the tanker is seen surrounded in flames. According to the US military, the crew was first instructed to abandon ship and after this the ship was completely disabled. CENTCOM said M/T Kylo sank in the Gulf of Oman following action by US troops. According to the US, this action was taken after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps fired ballistic missiles towards two US Navy ships.
What did Iran claim regarding the attack on American warships?
Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it hit a US aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer with ballistic missiles. However, these claims were not immediately confirmed by the US. The Iranian military also warned that if the actions against Iranian ships and the naval blockade continue, its attacks against US military ships could become more serious and their scope could also increase.
What happened in the tanker attack near Kharg Island?
Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim claimed that four US missiles were fired at a tanker near Kharg. Quoting local sources, the agency said there were no casualties in the attack and the tanker's crew was being evacuated. These claims were not immediately independently verified.